This invention relates to devices for holding spare tires firmly in place in a vehicle. More specifically, this invention relates to a snap-in tire carrier for holding spare tires on the inside of a side wall of a pick-up truck bed.
The prior art has included numerous devices for carrying spare tires in vehicles. In particular, several of these prior art devices have been used for mounting spare tires on the inside wall of pick-up truck beds. Although many of these prior art devices have been useful, they have generally been subject to one or more disadvantages. In particular, they have often required drilling or otherwise permanently modifying the side wall or bed of the pick-up truck. Additionally, they have often been of rather complex construction with a large number of parts, each of which is subject to being lost. Other of these devices have been limited to particular tire sizes and/or particular sizes for the hub or pilot hole in the tire.
The following patents are believed of relevance in showing various prior art tire carriers:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,585,436--Swenson PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,204,840--Bowen PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,972--Daughhetee PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,373--Bryngelson
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a snap-in tire carrier for pick-up truck beds wherein no holes or other permanent modifications have to be made to the side wall or bed of the pick-up truck.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a tire carrier which is simple in construction and has relatively few parts.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tire carrier which will readily accommodate various tire sizes in various sizes of hub holes.